​​Adam Katz​Director​

​Adam Katz was born in New York City, but realized at an early age that whatever his life was meant to be about, it revolved around him living in Colorado. Knowing this, he has spent his life moving around the United States and serving in the United States Navy before finally settling in Aurora, Colorado in October 1997.​​Upon arriving in Colorado, he started work as an accountant and also started volunteering in the community. His volunteer efforts have served organizations such as the Griffith Centers for Children, the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, Komen for a Cure, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Denver Children’s Museum, CACA Junior Racquetball, The Rockbottom Foundation, and the Senior Hub of Adams County amongst others.While riding to work one day on the lightrail in 2008, he read a sign about going back to school and he committed to obtaining his Master’s degree. That goal was realized in December of 2011 and with that in hand, Adam decided to leave the world of accounting in order to start the Doreen Katz Memorial Cancer Foundation to serve a particular need that he saw in the Denver and the Cancer community.His desire to help others and his compassion for children make him the ideal candidate to lead this organization as it develops in the Metro Denver community.

​​Tanya Mabie​Board Member

Tanya Mabie is an International Human Resources Coordinator for AECOM. AECOM works with clients in more than 150 countries to design (including planning, architecture and engineering), build, finance, operate and maintain diverse types of infrastructure. Tanya has been with AECOM for more than 15 years. She lives in Aurora with her husband, Chris.

​​Sara Benefiel​Board Member

Sara Benefiel is a founding board member of the foundation and brings over 15 years of experience of accounting and finance knowledge. Sara is currently the Director of Finance & Administration for EcoSys, a leading project controls software company, located in Broomfield, Colorado. Sara has a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Denver and is licensed as a CPA in the State of Colorado. She and her husband, Jason, live in Westminster, Colorado with their son Tyler.

​Cathy Murtha​Board Member

Cathy Murtha is the Manager of Global Financial Systems at Arrow Electronics, Inc. Arrow Electronics is a global provider of products, services and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and enterprise computing solutions. Mrs. Murtha has been with Arrow Electronics, Inc. for over 8 years and has over 20 years of Financial Systems application experience. Mrs. Murtha holds an B.S. in Marketing Education from Virginia Tech and currently resides in Aurora, CO with her husband, Ronald.

​Javier Tafoya​Board Member

Javier Tafoya is a Financial Consultant at AXA Advisors that provides customized guidance and strategies to his clients. He serves his community by providing financial education through AARP Colorado. Also, he uses his education and experience on the young professional committee for Colorado Opera. Javier has a MBA from the Regis University, with an emphasis in accounting and finance, he also holds general securities license (Series 7), investment adviser representative license (Series 66), and state insurance licenses. He and his wife Jennifer live in Denver with their son Javi.

​Javier L. Tafoya is a registered representative and investment advisor representative who offers securities and investment advisory services through AXA Advisors, LLC (NY, NY 212-314-4600), member FINRA/SIPC, and is an agent who offers annuity and insurance products through AXA Network, LLC and/or its insurance agency subsidiaries. AXA Network, LLC does business in California as AXA Network Insurance Agency of California, LLC and, in Utah, as AXA Network Insurance Agency of Utah, LLC. AXA Advisors and AXA Network are affiliated companies and do not provide tax or legal advice. Representatives may transact business, which includes offering products and services and/or responding to inquiries, only in state(s) in which they are properly registered and/or licensed. Your receipt of this e-mail does not necessarily indicate that the sender is able to transact business in your state. Compliance #: 92054 (02/2014)(exp. 02/2016)115755 (06/2016)(exp. 06/2018)

​Brian Keene​Board Member

Brian is a community focused entrepreneur dedicated to changing children's lives. He supports our Foundation with event management and social media. Brian believes that our parents battling cancer should have tremendous support and the well-being of the children should be a high priority.

Brian is committed to bringing about growth for our Foundation, from increasing volunteers and ambassadors to awareness and fundraising dollars for all of the families battling cancer, whether they are in our Foundation or partners of the Foundation.

​Liza MercadoBoard Member

​Liza Mercado is the Director of Membership for the Women of Denver which is a community of entrepreneurs and business women. Women of Denver will help build your connections, confidence, leadership skills, credibility and more.

She also serves as a Sock Ambassador for the nonprofit organization called Sock It to ‘Em. The mission is to collect new socks for homeless men, women and children.

Liza is an Independant Associate for LegalShield, an Independent Distributor for LipSense and an AdvoCare Advisor. She is a single mom of two and lost her father to cancer the day after Christmas in 2000. She is honored to serve on this board since she never had the resources and support as a child of a parent with cancer.